The Singing Chef
by TheRainingPeach
Summary: What would happen if the day that Komatsu was asked to venture off with Toriko, he wasn't working? Head Chef Éclair Reinbou is sent off to enlist the Bishokuya Toriko for his help with capturing the Garara Gator. Facing many obstacles, the two won't stop until they've eaten the tastiest foods the world has to offer!
1. Capturing the Garara Gator

Any Komatsu fan is going to absolutely hate me for this fic. I hope you like it anyway, and don't forget to review please :)

Tall buildings, the scent of high quality ingredients, people laughing and sharing before a dining table. A woman with honey golden hair looked through a window from one of the buildings. It was the Hotel Gourmet, the Five Star restaurant that sat right in the middle of the bustling city. A tall man with a short bob cut sat anxiously next to the standing woman. He tapped his index finger to his lips as he thought. The man looked to the girl, "Éclair." "Yes sir?" He began to smile evilly, "For the Assembly, we'll need something that represents this place well. Something big, something tasty." He paused, and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Sir?" The man stood up, "We need, the Garara Gator." A gasp escaped her lips, "But, that could be extremely dangerous." The man nodded, "I know. We'll need a skilled Bishokuya for the job." Éclair smiled, "Toriko perhaps?"

The golden haired girl found herself wrestling with bushes in her way. Her lightly tanned freckled face pouted, "By suggesting Toriko, I didn't mean me personally getting him. It was just a suggestion for someone else. Oh well, no backing out now I suppose." She tried to keep the branches and leaves out of her hair and off of her clothes. She pulled away one last bush, and before her was a blue haired man sitting on a rock waiting. She watched the man for a moment, and her sapphire eyes looked at the man she'd hoped to recruit. The Bishokuya known as Toriko, was very oblivious to his surroundings. He stuffed his face with lobster, and drank an entire bottle of hard Bourbon in one easy gulp. As she walked forward, he began to smoke a cigar from a cigar tree. She decided this would be the best time than any to approach him. Anymore strange behavior and she'd not be able to handle it. She dusted off her black blazer jacket, "Hello Bishokuya Toriko. I am here to ask you for your help with the capturing of the Garara Gator. It is a high paying job, I assure you."

He nodded, "The Garara Gator, what's the occasion? I can't promise to bring it back alive." Her eyes widened, "It's for an assembly, but anyway. You're going to do it right? Cause if you're not I can always get someone else who's willing you know." It was a psychological bluff she spewed. She didn't want him to turn it down, but she did want to make the value seem upscale. Before answering, the man pulled back on his fishing rod. He was excited as he rose up his catch. The beads of water flew clear past the girl's eye line. It was so amazing, these wild ingredients. She gasped, "A Pincer Fish!? It's so beautiful in its natural habitat." She wasn't able to fawn on for too long as a Five Tailed Great Hawk swooped down and caught the fish. Toriko sneered, "You bastard!" With the great rod, he smashed both ingredients onto the hard rocky surface. As the wire whipped past the woman, she was both nervous, and impressed. He looked at the red haired girl, "Alright, I'll catch your Garara Gator for you. What's your name kid?" She did a quick curtsy, "Éclair." "Well Éclair, I'll head out tomorrow."

The girl was at the docks bright and early. She was dressed in a blue short sleeved shirt that showed off her midriff, as well as four horizontal blue lines tattoo's her right arm, black pants, and combat boots. She carried two small containers with her as she walked up to Toriko. He looked at her with a shocked face, "Éclair!? Why are you coming?" She shrugged, "Unfortunately it was because the request of my boss. So if I die it'll be on his conscious." She pointed to a boat, "This is us right?" She hopped on without a response. Tom, the captain looked at his friend, "Toriko, this a friend of yours?" He shook his head, "This is Éclair, client." The man stepped onto the boat and it rocked around. Éclair's eyes widened as she swayed from the movement. Tom continued, "You must be fearless to be traveling with this guy, Éclair." She stuck her tongue out playfully, "Nah, it's literally just because my boss made me." She sat back as she enjoyed the sun beaming on her skin. Toriko took out three champagne bottles and downed them just as easy as the bourbon, "Don't relax too much. You should probably write your will. I won't be accountable for what happens to you in the Baron Arcapeligo. She raised her head as she looked at him, "A will? Please, I don't have anything to leave anyone. Even if I did, I don't have people to leave it to." It made her a bit sad to mention, but it was the truth.

He took out more food and filled his bottomless stomach. "So Éclair, how long have you been a chef?" Her eyes amplified, "How'd you know I'm a chef?" "I can smell the ingredients on your hands." She raised her eyebrows, "Really? You smelled the ingredients? Name something I cooked recently, if you're that good." He sniffed the air, "Tomatizard." "That's just one thing." He raised his finger, "You also cooked with Rawice Eggs and Pudding Trumpet Mushrooms." His mouth began to water as she brought it up, "Pancake Fruit, and succulent Templant that you cooked three days ago." Her face changed as everything he named was exact. "T-Toriko? Get your mouth off of my hand!" She pulled her hand away and waved away the saliva. "So what restaurant do you work at?" "The Hotel Gourmet. I'm the head chef, but I don't let it get to me. When I tell people they give me so much praise. But there is so much I have to learn that I really see myself as just average." He gave her a pat on the back, "Five stars, that's awesome. You'll have to whip me up a full course sometime." She nodded, "No problem. Well, that is if we don't die in some massive freak accident." He pouted, "Don't be such a downer Éclair. 'Sides, your name is too happy to be so pessimistic." She put on a pretentious smile, "Fine then Toriko. You've learned about me. What about you. What is your dream in life huh?"

"I'm making a menu." "A menu?" He was serious, but jovial, "A full course menu of my life. Gathering the finest ingredients, and putting onto one great bill of fare." She finally smiled a genuine smile. It was nice to hear him speak of his dream. It made him seem more down to Earth so to speak. "I already decided on one item on my list." She was surprised to hear his words. What could possibly be on the Bishokuya Toriko's full course menu? "What is it?" "We're here?" Tom interrupted her question, "Hold on tight, this is gonna get bumpy." She looked for just a moment to see the rocky road ahead of them. She held onto the boat rail as she tossed and turned. She pulled her head over the rail to see a scary looking creature in her face. Her hands released the rail and she rolled to the other side of the boat. "What the hell is that?" The blue haired man replied, "Friday Monkeys. Don't worry, they aren't going to attack. But it is a bit concerning that they aren't in the forest as they usually are." The choppy waves stopped and the girl stood up. "We're not getting off here are we?" He threw down a raft, "Why, you scared?" She jumped from the boat into the raft, "Of course not. I was only wondering is all." Toriko jumped in after her and grabbed the paddles. She took out a machete and held it close.

She looked in the water and saw Baron Sharks circling the raft. "Um, Toriko, about these sharks. They won't attack us right?" He continued to paddle as he smiled, "Why? Are you getting scared?" She shook her head, "No Toriko, I'm not scared!" "Good, because there's no backing out now." He jumped off the raft as they reached land. The bluenette walked ahead without waiting for the girl. She clumsily left the raft as held the machete. "Hey, you aren't gonna wait for me? Ugh, chivalry is definitely a dead art." He ignored her complaint and listened to the voice of the jungle. "You hear that? There are around 200,000 different species living on these islets alone. But the one that outranks them all is the Garara Gator."

She walked cautiously though the forest. "These trees are so big. It's pretty amazing when you actually look at them." Just as she began getting comfortable in the jungle, she felt something irritating on her back. "Hey Toriko, is there something on my back? It kinda itches." She turned to show the man and he poked at a leech on her back. "Yep, you've got a leech on your lower back." He looked even closer, "Is that a heart shaped birthmark?" Her face chanced, it turned completely blue. "What! Forget the birthmark! Get it off of me right now!" She danced around as she tried to free herself from the leech. The man put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from running around. "Stop running. Calm down." He took the leaves of the Mangrove trees and squeezed the juice out onto the leech. It detached itself and the woman felt free. She puffed, "Thanks Toriko. That's a handy trick. But how do I get myself to stop bleeding!" She didn't bring any first aid, so natural herbs would have to do. She grabbed a plant and rubbed it against her back. "I don't want any more surprises. This jungle is killing me, literally!"

Toriko stepped forward and the girl followed. A Baron Tiger ran up to the two and roared a loud roar. It was taller than both 5'4 Éclair, and 7'6 Toriko. Apple ducked with her hands over her head as the battle cry was more frightening than anything she'd ever heard. "You dare to cross fangs with me, pussycat?" She looked up at Toriko, and a demonic face was that his own. The large cat took off back into the forest from fear of the man. He looked back down at the frightened girl, "Both the Friday Monkeys, and the Baron Tiger were driven out of their habitat." She stood upright again, "Could it have been the Garara Gator? My boss told me that the older they get, the higher their capture level gets, and the quality of their meat. They usually live for around 150 years, but those that have lived longer are almost twice as delicous." He was even more ambitious about the journey. "I can't wait to eat it!" He stopped and looked back at her. "Hey Éclair?" "Yeah?" He took her hand with the machete, "You might want to rethink carrying this. It won't kill anything in this jungle. All it will do is slow you down." She didn't rid herself of the knife, but store it away for safe keeping.

They'd been walking for so long that it was officially dusk now. Apple made sure to keep a small distance between her and Toriko. "So, we aren't gonna stay the night in this forsaken place are we?" He nodded, "Looks that way." She sighed, "Goodbye world." He picked up a tree and threw it down by a lake. "We can make camp here." She smiled, "Ooh, I can make a fire." Just as she was going to run to get something to make a fire, she felt an inferno behind her. The man made a fire as quickly as he brought the tree down. She rolled her eyes and took a seat by the fire. Éclair looked down as she spoke. "Hey Toriko, can I tell you something?" "Sure, go ahead." She started to twiddle her thumbs. "I uh, well, you see." She couldn't get out a complete sentence before an enormous Swamp Snake jumped up before them. She pulled out her machete, "Swamp Snake? That's a capture level five! Oh how I regret not taking my will seriously!" She swung the knife wildly before she noticed the snake wasn't attacking. It fell on its side just feet beside her. She shuttered, "What the hell is that?" She pointed to a large bite mark in the beast. The reality of their survival was lowering second by second. She poked the snake with the tip of her knife. "Eww, it's dead." The Bishokuya noticed something interesting from the fatal wound. It was the leeches from before.

Éclair walked closer to its mouth and before she could excavate, the snake was snatched into the water. The petite girl was really shaken up now. "Whoa. Uh, maybe we should move camp?" A loud battle cry was heard. It was even louder than the Baron Tiger. She clenched her knife tightly, "Toriko, please tell me that wasn't." It was, the king of the Baron Jungle himself. The Garara Gator. It was much larger than anything she ever cooked, and much more ferocious than things she read in storybooks. Toriko stood his ground with the lizard, and neither one was going to back down. The Gator roared once more and exposed the leeches that made a home in its mouth. Toriko looked back at the girl, "That wound of yours never healed did it? The one from the leech? Your blood loss has made us a tracking target this entire time." She touched her lower back, and it was still a bit bloody. Just a bit stained her fingertips as she rubbed her back. It was finally on, both the Garara Gator and Toriko made their move. Eclair wanted no part in that fight, so she ran back behind a tree. She watched as the fight went on. Though she wasn't a target for the Gator, that didn't mean other predators weren't watching. A low growl filled her ears. Hesitant to look behind her, she did anyway. The woman gulped and prayed for a miracle. She still had her machete. It was worth a try. She took out the knife and pointed it at the pussycat, "Y-You dare cross fangs with me pussycat!" She stood her ground as she mocked Toriko's words. The Baron Tiger had a look of fright on its face as it backed off. Éclair smirked, "Yeah, and tell your friends! Hmph, and he said this knife wouldn't work." She turned back around and noticed something she'd not seen before. It was a demon like appearance above Toriko. It was made clear that she wasn't what scared off the tiger. He stuck his hand into the Gator, "Fork!" Down came his other hand just at the neckline. "Knife!" The head of the animal came clean off. She was mesmerized. She'd never seen such a thing before. "So this is the Bishokuya they call Toriko, huh?"

The two sat around the fire with pieces of the Garara Gator. Eclair smiled, "This looks amazing. I can't wait to get my hands on this thing." She rubbed her hands together and took a bite of the meat. Her eyes glistened as she looked at Toriko. "Oh this is wonderful. I want more! Ooh, I have an idea!" She grabbed a flat stone and placed a sliver on. She ran to one of the trees and reached for something. "I noticed these Pepper Lighting Bugs." She shook the insect and its body secreted natural crushed pepper. Toriko's mouth water, "Yummy." "Wait, I'm not done yet." She ran back to the close jungle bushes and grabbed natural herbs and spices. As she seasoned the meat, she started to softly hum. She flipped the meat and began to outright sing. Toriko was enthralled by her voice. It was so natural and beautiful. He smiled gently, "What is that song?" She blushed as she didn't realize she was singing it out loud. "Oh, nothing. It's just something I wrote. I have a habit of singing when I cook. It helps me connect with my ingredients." Her embarrassed eyes looked down as she handed him the meat. "Okay, try it." The man yelled in pure bliss "So good!" She nodded, "Thank you very much. Let's eat more!"

She layed back as she was completely stuffed. There was still a lot of meat left, and she couldn't wait to bring it back. Toriko looked at the woman, "So, what was it you were going to say?" "Huh?" "Before the Garara Gator interrupted you." She sat up, "Oh, yeah. About my boss, he didn't actually assign me to go with you. I just wanted to see these ingredients in their natural habitat. Seeing the beautiful Pincer Fish made me realize that yesterday. There are so many ingredients in this world, and if I died seeing what I saw today, I'd be happy with just that." She stood up and allowed a pearly white smile to brighten her face. "Bishokuya Toriko, should you go on any adventures in the near future, I ask if I could tag along. Please, let me see the live ingredients in their innate environment with you." He shrugged, "I really don't care. Put your live on the line if you want to Éclair. I don't understand why a chef of your class wants a death wish so badly anyway." She exhaled, "I don't want a death wish, and I already explained to you." Her speech was cut off as she looked at her surroundings. The bones of the Garara Gator were all around her. "Toriko you idiot! Did you really eat the entire Gator! How? Was here the whole time! When did you do this! Uhhhhh! I'm totally getting fired!"


	2. The Rainbow Fruit After the Storm

**I forgot to mention this on my last post, but for my story, I will be going by the information of the manga, but the story timeline of the anime, as in by the episode timeline. I know the anime messed up a few facts that happened in the manga, and I don't want to change that. But also, because this is a fanfiction, nothing will be exactly the same. **

It had been a while since the head chef went out with Toriko. She could think of nothing but that adventure. It weighed heavy on her mind. It fascinated her to see such beautiful creatures in their natural environment. The everlasting memory made her think, what other creatures where out there? She wanted to cook them, all of them. Thinking about it made her stomach growl. As she exited out of her thoughts, the loud commotion of the crowd set in. She was standing in the middle of the World Kitchen. She could smell the gorgeous scent of raw ingredients fill her nostrils. "Ahh, such a beautiful sight, isn't it Johannes?" The taller suited man nodded, "I'm glad you're speaking. For a second I was worried that you'd never say anything." She walked over to some fresh seafood, "You smell that? It's fresh Milk Scallops. We should get some." The man's face didn't change as he replied, "You'll want to be careful about what you spend the money on. The IGO has a specific budget." She stuck out her tongue irritatingly, "Oh brother, you mean to tell me the IGO is gonna have my head because I buy a few extra scallops? Now that's just crazy talk."

She would have continued her rant, but a familiar face caught her line of vision. "Hey, I know you right?" A tan skinned man with sunglasses turned to the girl, "Oh yeah, Éclair, right? We met a few days ago." She nodded, "Yeah, so where's Toriko. I thought you guys traveled together." He shook his head, "Just when he needs a ride to certain places." Éclair lifted an eyebrow, "Oh, that I didn't know. Whelp, good seeing you. Oh and if you see Toriko, tell him I'm looking forward to our next adventure together." "Did someone call me?" The golden haired girl looked back to see the top Bishokuya himself. "Toriko, hey." She noticed the Underbite Dragon he was carrying with him. "Whoa, you caught this thing? That's amazing!" She walked over to pet the large ingredient and flinched as it was still breathing. "You brought a live Underbite Dragon to the World Market! What are you?" He dropped the dragon off his shoulder, "Calm down Donut, it's knocked out." She folded her arms, "My name is not Donut, it's Éclair. Get your pastries right."

Johannes walked over to the heavyweight Bishokuya. "Toriko, you're just the man I wanted to see." Toriko rubbed his head, "Oh yeah? Why is that?" "It is about a problem we're encountering in the first Biotope. It seems that the Rainbow Fruit Tree has finally produced it's fruit. The problem is, the Troll Kongs in the surrounding area aren't letting anyone near it." Tom gasped, "Wow, a Rainbow Fruit? That would be means for some serious cash if you sold one of those. It is said that the fruit is so concentrated, one drop of it's juice would turn a swimming pool into sweet fruit punch." The sandy blond girl smiled, "Whoa! We have to get that thing. My hands are literally desperate to cook it." Johannes faced Toriko, "So what do you say? Will you get the fruit?" Éclair jumped up and down, "Ooh, ooh! Take me too!" The bluenette looked down at the jumping girl, "Did you write your will this time?" She nodded her head frenziedly, "Yes! I left all of my clothes to my sister back in Gourmet Town." He put his hand up for a high five, "Then let's head out." She gave him a slap on the hand, "Yeah!"

The two sat in a stretch limousine as they were driving to the first Biotope. Toriko hadn't said a word nearly the entire ride from eating Golden Caviar. Éclair was laid out on a seat reading a cooking magazine. She set the book down and looked at his food, "Hey, where'd you get that?" "Tom gave it to me. In return he wants a portion of the Rainbow Fruit." She sat up, "Oh my goodness, let me get a spoonful, I want to see something." She took out small bag of crackers and took the spoon. "These are crackers made from red wheat. The Hotel Gourmet just got it a couple days ago. She handed him a cracker and they felt free to indulge. Toriko's smile grew even bigger, "So good!" She nodded, "The caviar is so smooth, and once you pop them in your mouth, the flavor increases. The crackers are a good bitter balance to the sweetness, don't you think?" He smiled, "Oh yeah, these are great!" Johannes rolled down the window separating the driver and passengers. "I hate to interrupt you two, but we're almost here." Éclair peeked her head through the sunroof, "Wow, the Biotope wall is so huge." She shivered a bit as she sat back in her seat, "Makes me truly wonder about the monsters behind the concrete."

The girl exited the car a bit frightened, but excited nonetheless. "Rainbow Fruit, here we come!" Toriko lit a cigar as he left the limo, "Aren't you a little optimistic?" She shrugged, "Why shouldn't I be. I can't wait see a real Rainbow Fruit. I can only imagine its texture, and the flavor it possesses." He blew out the smoke from his mouth, "You do remember that Troll Kongs live behind this wall right? The most fearsome ape in the world." Éclair put her hands on her hips, "If you're trying to scare me out of this, it's not working." She walked ahead all of two steps, and a loud noise sounded. It sounded like a gun being fired, no a missile, no a meteor crashing down! Her big blue eyes amplified, "What in the world was that, an atomic bomb?" Her heart raced as she tried to rationalize the sound. Toriko removed the cigar from his lips, "Sounded to me like an anxious chimp." "E-excuse me!?" He nodded at the woman, "The pounding on his chest was the noise. It was an indication that he's ready for a fight." She took out her machete and held it in an intimidating manor, "Than so are we!" She looked to the bluenette fearfully, "R-right?" Before Toriko could reply, one of the men at the front gate replied, "No can do. We just got word that one of the Troll Kongs are within five kilometer's of the gate. That being said, we cannot let you in. It would be too risky." Toriko shook his head, "Too risky you say? Well now, tell me I didn't come all the way down here for no reason." "Sorry sir, but it is for your own safety." Éclair's eyes saddened as she was prepared to dive head first into this adventure. She wanted to see the Rainbow Fruit herself, even if it meant facing a fearsome ruler such as a Troll Kong. She turned around and put her knife back into it's pocket. "Well, that's unfortunate. Let's go." "Three Fold, Spiked Punch!" She turned back to see that Toriko punched a massive hole in the concrete wall. She put a hand over her mouth, "Whoa, what was that?" He inhaled his cigar, "Just a little technique called my Spiked Punch. It's like hitting a spike in the same concentrated area multiple times. So, you coming or what?" As the guards were in complete shock at what just took place, there was nothing they could do now. Éclair tip toed to the gigantic hold, "Sorry bout the hole guys. No hard feelings?" She made her way in, and looked at the open area.

"A girl could really get used to this." Just as she took in a breath of fresh air, a group of Zombie Tapians sprang out and jumped at the girl. It was too fast for her to react, and Toriko pushed her out of the way, "Look out!" There were four of the vicious snakes attached to both arms, and a leg. She got up from the ground, "Toriko!" She unsheathed her knife and charged at them. Before she could swing, they detached from him and slithered off. "Huh? I know eating lean meat isn't too tasty, but I've never seen snakes run from a meal." He inhaled one last puff of his cigar before flicking the bud off. "It's the smoke." "Huh, the smoke." He nodded, "The acidity acts as natural repellent." Éclair folded her arms, "So you don't need me to suck any of that venom out of your arms, do you?" The bluenette shrugged, "Only if you really want to. But no. My body already has the anti-venom, so it's not necessary." She rolled her eyes, "Looks like I'll be keeping my mouth to myself then, thank you very much." The freckle faced girl pinched her eyebrows together, "I'm rather confused here, how did the Zombie Tapians make it across that gigantic trench separating us and them?" Before her question could be answered, a guard ran in through the hole in the wall, "Are you two okay? I got word it's safe to lower the bridge." Toriko nodded, "We're fine." He looked back at Éclair, "To answer your question, we were being ambushed. The Troll Kong more than likely threw the Zombie Tapians at you because you're the weakest." She poked her lip out as she walked across the now lowered bridge. "Oh yeah? I'm not that weak. I'll show these bastards who is top chimp around here. I'm not afraid of some poop throwing, banana eating, chest pounding primates!" She looked ahead as she walked, and touched a hairy surface. "How many walls does the IGO have? I mean come on, a furry wall now, please." Toriko whispered loudly at the girl, "Éclair, whatever you do, don't move. Don't scream, and don't talk." She slowly looked up and saw the amazing Troll Kong. It was humongous. It would take around 15 of her to match the height of the beast.

The monstrous beast had a vicious face that could curdle milk. It's sharp teeth, the large build, Troll Kongs were nothing to be toyed with. She was paralyzed in fear as she stared sudden death in the face. It knelt to her level and roared a vicious sound that filled her ears. Toriko ran to the ape, and jumped up its arm pulled out his knocking rifle. He placed the powerful weapon to his arm and sent a shock through its entire body. It turned its head toward Toriko, and regurgitated all over the man before it fell hard to the ground. Toriko jumped off and looked at himself, "Gross.." Éclair plugged her nose, "Wow, you reek." He knelt down, "Get on my back. These Troll Kongs won't hesitate to attack you like this guy did." She frowned disgustedly, "I think I'm going to opt out of that one thank you very much." He shrugged, "Alright then suit yourself." They walked forward a bit, and there were the rest of the Troll Kongs waiting to attack. Every last one of them stared viciously at the two. Éclair jumped on the man's back, "I was just kidding Toriko. Please, take care of us." "I'll do what I can, but you need to hold onto me with all your strength, got it?" She nodded and closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't see what was taking place, but she felt as though her grip would release at any moment from the slippery vomit. She yelled to Toriko as she felt the two jumping from Troll Kong to Troll Kong. "Hey Toriko. You aren't killing these guys are you?" "No, just knocking. I don't kill anything I don't eat." She exhaled in relief, "Good. I heard Toll Kongs are inedible, except their brains. But I feel like killing an entire animal just for the brain is a waste." She peeked her right eye open just to see what was happening. Toriko was jumping around knocking any of the apes coming his way. It was frightening though, the group of Troll Kongs seemed endless. "Well, at least I made a will this time." She closed her eyes again and felt a wetness hit her arm. Éclair looked up at the sky, "It's raining? This can't help with my grip." Toriko sniffed himself, "The rain washed of the weak scent the first Troll Kong left with me." He began to power up, and Éclair felt both scared and protected.

Out of all the monsters before her, the one she was most afraid of was the man carrying her. Her blue eyes looked at him in awe. The Troll Kongs were not fond of the two being on their land, but they were smart enough not to attack. Éclair still held onto the man as they walked forward. "So that's it? We can get the Rainbow Fruit now?" He shook his head, "We need to find the leader of these guys. Without his 'permission' we won't be able to reach the fruit." He deeply inhaled the air, "Smell that Rainbow Fruit." His mouth watered as his nose filled with a delightful fruity scent. An electrical force could be heard from beyond the clouds. The blond sighed, "Tell me there isn't going to be a lightning storm." She raised her machete and screamed to the top of her lungs, "Nothing is going to stop us from getting that fruit!" The lightning was conducted by the piece of metal, and Toriko back dashed quickly. "Put that away will you! Are you trying to get us killed?" "Oops, sorry. I was just excited I guess. Looks like that ape was more afraid than you were though." "What ape?" She pointed to a long, white haired Troll Kong. "That one. He jumped before the lightning even struck, and he wasn't even near it." He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair, "Éclair you've got some keen eye! Good job!" She was really confused by his statement. She was going to form a question, but Toriko spoke first. "That's the leader. He's the one with the most immediate sense of danger." She nodded unsurely, "Okay." As the bluenette approached the main Silverback, Éclair slid down lower on his back. She was frightened by the sight of this thing. It let out a massive growl as it knelt to their level. The girls mouth went dry as she looked at it. Her mouth couldn't fix to say one more word. Though it was the most scared she'd been, even more than the Garara Gator, she still felt protected for some reason. Toriko's power felt stronger than the Silverback. It was amazing, not only did he over power a capture level 9, but the even more powerful capture level 10. She watched as the Ape lowered its voice and tamed down. It was such a strange sight to see. The strongest apes in the world were known to flip tanks and bow to no man, but this leader of the group just did the unthinkable. Toriko jumped on the leaves of the tree to the Rainbow Fruit. It was so beautiful, the sight. Éclair released herself from his back and looked up at the beautiful fruit. Toriko reached for one of the fruits, but before he could pick it, Éclair put her hand on his arm, "Wait. Don't pick it yet." She let the vision of the shining fruit fill her eyes. "Okay, let's take this home." He smiled at the girl, "Alright!"

Éclair rolled up the white sleeves of her chef uniform. All of the dishes for Toriko were still being rolled out, and now it was time for her to cook the final ingredient, the Rainbow Fruit. She cleared her throat and began to sing. Her golden throat allowed her to connect to the fruit. She let the words of the song allow her to explain her feeling toward the ingredient. It was an amazing sight to see her give such thanks and appreciation to the ingredient she and Toriko worked so hard to get. She slit her knife through the fruit, and it was softer than anything she'd ever felt. It had a pudding like texture, but it was thick, and the skin was nicely crisp. She smiled, "I know exactly what I'll make out of this. I know the perfect dish."

She rolled out the dish excitedly to the table. "Mr. Toriko, the Rainbow Fruit is done. Eat it whenever you like, it won't melt." She removed the top and a rainbow colored bowl of ice cream sat before him. She smiled, "Go on, dig in." He put the spoon into the ice cream, and was able to feel the thickness that she felt when she was preparing it. He put the dessert to his lips and slid it down his throat. His eyes were completely amplified as the ice cream melted on his tongue. The flavors changed with the temperature change in his mouth. Even on the way down as he swallowed the flavor was still continuing to morph. She smiled, "Do you like it?" He wiped a tear away from his undrying eyes, "I love it." He stood up and smiled at the girl. "Thank you Éclair, thank you for this Rainbow Fruit." She shook her head, "It was all you buddy, you did all the work." Toriko wiped away the rest of his tears, "It's official." The entire staff was all ears as he spoke. "Rainbow Fruit will be the official Dessert on my Full Course Menu of Life." The room was filled with cheers as he decided to put the dessert on his list. Éclair jumped for joy, "Congratulations Toriko! One down, seven to go!"


	3. The Devil Serpent

Éclair was walking around in her home city. It was about 20 minutes away from the Hotel Gourmet itself. She spoke to one of her fellow employee, "Komatsu, you should have been there. It was so amazing, capturing the Rainbow Fruit." She sighed, "One day you should go out and see these things for yourself, you'd be surprised by what you'd find. I must admit though, it was all pretty scary. I could have died at any moment, but that Bishokuya Toriko knows his stuff." The smaller chef looked up at his friend, "Wow, sounds amazing, but I don't think I could do that. Putting my life in danger, it just sounds too scary." The blond shrugged, "I guess it's just one of those things where you had to be there. It was just seeing the Pincer Fish that day, something about the image of it jumping out of the water can't leave my mind. There have been more amazing things, but that moment to me is something that I'll remember forever." Her eyes pointed to the ground, "Have you talked to Ootake?" Komatsu stopped and looked at her, "Not since you have." "You, me, Ootake, and Ume should get together sometime again. We should all have lunch." Her phone began to ring, and she looked at it, "It's Toriko, interesting." She picked up the phone, "Hello? ~Nope I'm not doing anything. ~Wow, really! ~Alright, I'm on my way!" She hung up the phone and smiled. Komatsu looked at her confusingly, "What happened?" "It's about the Puffer Whale. It'll be the first time in 10 years it's making its debut. Toriko just invited me to get some with him." Komatsu's eyes glistened, "What are you standing here for? Go get it! If you can, bring some back for me." She nodded, "I'll do what I can. Hold down the kitchen for me while I'm gone. See you later Komatsu!"

The bullet train sped through a grassland area. The scenery was breathtaking to those who weren't used to it. Inside one of the cars sat Toriko and Éclair. The blond girl looked out the window with her hands planted on the glass. "This is so cool. I've never been out here before." She turned around and sat back in her seat. She picked up a glass of red wine and sipped just a bit. "I know it's a celebratory thing, the Puffer Whale's appearance. But did you really have to buy all the booze on the train?" He picked up a bottle of hard whiskey and downed it easily. "I don't know. I just like to drink, you know, I'm excited." She smiled, "I guess, though that made almost no sense. Hey, I forgot to ask, who is this person we're meeting up with?" "He's one of the 10 people in the world that can perfectly extract the poison sack from a Puffer Whale. Well, 1/10 times." Éclair raised her eyebrows, "Impressive, that's better than what I can do. Then again, I've never tried. Oh I can't wait to taste it. I can only imagine!" Toriko snapped his fingers, "That reminds me. I made something for you." "A gift?" He took out five cone shaped firecrackers, "I call them Toriko Crackers. Use it whenever you're in a tight spot, but don't forget to use earplugs okay?" She grabbed them and her arms instantly dropped, "Thanks. Hopefully I can fit this thing into my satchel and still function." She was getting ready to take another sip before a loud obnoxious voice caught her off guard. "Hey, word on the train is that you two bought out all the booze. You two better hand over the hooch if you know what's good for you." His two buddies were snickering off to the side. One with a bald head spoke, "You'll regret messing with Zongeh!" The other one nodded in agreement. The large caveman-like man chuckled, "I've got one of the fiercest Full Course Menu's around, take a look." As he pulled out a paper, Éclair tuned him out. "Yawn, I'm totally not impressed." She swirled around the alcohol in her glass, "You want some booze? How bout you pry it from my cold, dead hands." An evil glint appeared in her eye as she looked at him. The bigger man pounded his hands on the table, "What was that!" Toriko grabbed the blond girls head and gave her a soft noogie, "Ignore this little firecracker here." As he stood at his full height, intimidation struck the trio. They shook a bit as Toriko spoke, "Go ahead Zombie, take a bottle. Any one you want, I don't care." The black haired cave looking man took two bottles, "T-thanks, and it's Zongeh." Toriko smiled, "No problem." Éclair sucked her teeth, "If it were me, I would have made him beg for it." He nudged the girl, "Hey, be nice. We need allies on our side. You never know who's going to help you out. The more people on your side, the better." The blond shrugged, "I guess I understand." She drank the last bit of her wine, and when she set down the glass, another face appeared before her. It was an old shaky old man. With all of the top Gourmet Hunters surrounding them, it was apparent that he was definitely on the wrong train. He smiled a cheeky, snaggle toothed smile. "Can you spare some booze for an old Gourmet Hunter?" Without listening to a story, Éclair scooted a bottle of Tequila toward the man, "Take it, we don't need this much anyway." His red face brightened even more "Hic~ thank you darling ~hic." Toriko shrugged, "Take it all, we're getting off at the next stop anyway." The shaky old man grinned, "I'll pay you back someday." Éclair nodded, "You got it old timer. Take it easy." Toriko poked at the girl, "Such a softy you are." She looked away and folded her arms, "You just had to one up me didn't you?"

The train stopped and Toriko propped up excitedly, "Looks like this is our stop." They made their way off the train and looked around at the baron city. Éclair scratched her head, "This place is a ghost town. I would have thought a fortune telling city such as this would be booming." The bluenette shook his head, "Not at this time." "And what time would that be, monster o'clock?" She snickered to herself as she mocked the town." "Precisely, that's why people are barricaded in their homes." Her laugh stopped into a fearful look, "Toriko, that's not funny." He shook his head, "I'm not trying to be. The fortune teller in this town, the man we're meeting up with predicted it." She shook in her boots a little bit, "Uh we aren't gonna see any of these monsters are we?" "He is the same man that predicted the appearance of the Puffer Whale, so stay close, okay?" They walked down a short set of steps before they heard the sound of loud feet pounding on the ground. Her heart sank as this really was a time meant to be indoors. She grabbed tightly on the back of Toriko's shirt, "Don't tell me.." A large capture level 10 monster came out from one of the corners. As it walked out, a man was walking from the opposite direction of Toriko and Éclair. He had no sense of fear as he walked past the monster. Éclair looked fearfully at the man, "Get inside! Don't you know its monster o'clock!" Toriko put a hand over her mouth, "Shhhh." She watched fearfully at the man as she pried the hand from her mouth. "Get off me! We have to help him!" Toriko held onto the girl not letting her go, "Éclair, be quiet. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves. Just watch." She stopped wrestling and watched the man continue to walk without a fearful bone in his body. The Kuendon knelt down and prepared itself to release a massive roar. By the time the two crossed paths, something came over the monster. It stood upright and walked in the direction opposite the man. Éclair looked surprised, "What the? How did it not attack him?" The unharmed man walked up to the two, "Hey Toriko. My prediction told me I'd be meeting you." Toriko laughed, "It's good to see the Gentleman of the Heavenly Kings again." Éclair gasped, "Wow, you didn't tell me we'd be meeting one of the Heavenly Kings Toriko!" Her screams carried throughout the town. A crowd of women flooded the streets. "Is the beast gone?" "Is that Coco-Sama?" "Coco-Sama read my fortune!" The black haired man was snatched into the sea of ladies. Coco cringed, "Please, don't touch me. Let go of me!" Toriko pouted as he walked to the crowd, "Hey you girl's go somewhere else. You can crowd Coco later, but for now, Shoo." Éclair smirked, "Looks like someone learned a little sass from the master." The girl's walked off in anger, "What a pig." "I know what a complete jerk he is!" "Hmph!"

As the three walked up the hills and throughout the boondocks, a conversation sparked. Toriko began, "So Coco, who were those women?" "Customers." Éclair's face turned pale, "Um, what do you mean by customers?" Coco's face went blank, no, he was not an escort. "Fortunetelling is my main job as of right now." She sighed in relief, "Oh, how cool." Toriko cut off the girl's thought, "So Coco, how's Zebra?" "He's serving his time in Gourmet Prison." Toriko laughed from a fond memory, "A problem child that Zebra was. I can just remember our youthful days in the garden, fighting to the death. Those were the days." Coco nodded, "Yes, an old memory." He pointed in the distance, "There, my house is on that rock." Éclair folded her arms, "So what exactly are we supposed to do huh? Climb down this rock, walk through the jungle and then climb up to your house. My legs are completely wrecked from walking here. I'm not sure if I will make it." Coco laughed, "Don't worry about it, there's an easier way." She saw the shadow of large wings circling on the ground. Her blue eyes looked up and she saw the top bird that was the Emperor Crow. It landed next to Coco and the man pet it, "This is my partner, Kiss." He looked at the large bird, "You think you can carry us all, Kiss?" The bird crowed and the three boarded.

They all sat around the table in Coco's house. He poured tea for the two and brought it to the table. "Thank you Mr. Coco, Fortuneteller ~lady killer." He chuckled at her compliment, "No, no. Far from it." She looked at him with her hands placed under her chin, "So, the glutton here tells me you are able to perfectly remove the poison sack from a puffer whale." He sipped a bit of tea from his cup, "My odds of extracting it perfectly is one 1 of 10. You see how delicate this is now don't you?" Her eyes were paralyzed by the sight of his face, the whole left half of his face turned purple. A sweat broke from the side of her face, but she'd dare not ask what that was about. He put down his cup and fixed his wraps, "Excuse me. I apologize for that." His eyes never left her face all the while. He could sense her fear in him; after all, he didn't explain the bazaar occurrence that took place. "So, you're a chef I hear." Éclair looked at Toriko with pretentious rosy cheeks, "Aww, did Toriko tell you that. Good to know he talks about me." She nodded as her demeanor resumed its seriousness, "Yes, I am a chef." "Can you handle the Puffer Whale?" She raised her hands, "I can handle Blow Fish. Listen Coco, I may be able to cook many ingredients, but I've never touched a Puffer Whale, so I really wouldn't know." He nodded, "That's not the biggest problem I'm afraid. Making it into the deep cave in and out will be a journey against odds. There is a 0.1% of us making it in and out. That means 1 out of every 1000 Bishokuya. Not to mention the Devil Python's that inhabit the cave. We don't even know what other monster's we'll encounter." The blond girl smiled promisingly, "Those are terrible odds, that's been made apparent. But I already have a will made, so if I die, I'm covered. Besides, I've stared death in the face more times than the average person in the past few of days. I'm not turning tail now." She gave Toriko a quick high five. The bluentte looked to the other Heavenly King, "Why so apprehensive Coco? You don't see the Shadow of Death, do you? Is it on me or Éclair?" He looked down and back up with a faux smile, "Okay then, let's go." Coco was in his own thoughts as Éclair and Toriko spoke. The girl jumped out of her seat and danced around, "Woo, we're gonna eat some Puffer Whale, we're gonna eat some Puffer Whale!" The two laughed, and the blond girl's smile was nothing to take for granted. Little did she know, she was in a world of danger.

The three stood outside of the deadly cave. There were thieves and other Gourmet hunters sitting outside, looking both defeated and devious. Éclair raised her eyebrows, "Looks like someone's journey was cut short." Coco shook his head, "Not exactly, they're waiting for other Gourmet Hunters to come out so they can steal their catch." The blond girl walked in between the two large men and grabbed her machete, "Nothing is going to happen to US, right?" Toriko sighed as he lit a cigar, "You're still carrying that thing around? I told you, it'll only slow you down." She pouted, "Hey, don't talk about this thing. It's sacred to me." Before they could enter the dark cave, they saw Zongeh and is crew running out of the cave at full speed. Toriko exhaled the acidic smoke, "Hey, it's Sangeria, did you find the beach?" The gruesome man frowned, "It's Zongeh! And yeah, I saw the beach, it was right there in my eye line, the glistening water." He wasn't able to get in another word as Éclair put a hand in his face, "Lies! You probably just stopped at the entrance." She walked past the man and he shook his fist at her, "You don't know what you're talking about!" He spit on the ground, "What a bunch of amateurs. We'll see how good they do when their weakest link is the only one with a weapon."

The bluenette looked back at the girl, "Hey Éclair, you might want to stay close to us. It's dark in here, so use your light, okay?" She ignored his warning completely and gasped in excitement. "Ooh, Snap Mushrooms! How cool, I haven't seen him in a cave like this!" Toriko ran over "Seriously, I want some!" The two filled their mouths with the mushrooms. Éclair giggled, "I love the snapping sound it makes when you bite it." They walked up a bit further and there was a fork in the road. The blond sighed, "If we get this wrong, that's gonna suck." Toriko sniffed the surrounding air, "To the left. I smell a hint of the beach scent that way. To the right is probably a nest of millipedes, I can smell one." Éclair nodded in awe, "That nose hasn't been a failure so far. I trust it." They decided to go to the left, as it was the wisest decision. They found themselves climbing uphill at this point. Coco looked back, "Be careful Éclair, It's pretty slippery." She nodded, "Thanks Coco." She tried to climb without grabbing onto any loose rocks. "How the hell can he see in all this darkness?" Her shoulder flashlight didn't shine nearly as far ahead as Coco could see. Toriko replied, "Coco's eyes are some of the best in the world. He can see ultraviolet, infrared, and electromagnetic waves. His eyes in this darkness are about as clear to him as yours would be outside." "Wow, that's really something." Coco stopped walking and Toriko raised his eyebrows, "What's wrong? Why'd we stop?" They heard the sound of hundreds of legs crawling around. Éclair ran up behind the two, "Okay, I can't see a thing." She shined her light at the ground and there were Scorpion Cockroaches everywhere. Éclair jumped up on the Bishokuya Toriko's back. "We're not going in there are we? Tell me we aren't gonna do it!" As she looked in, a Bishokuya fell into the nest. Éclair bit her bottom lip, "Get out of there! Hey!" He hid her face in Toriko's shoulder as she couldn't bear to watch a man get eaten alive. One thing's for sure, his screams were something she'd not forget. Toriko rubbed the back of the girls head, "It's okay Éclair, it's over." She shook her head, "I just wish that we could have saved him, but I know there's no way we could." Coco looked at the two, "Unfortunately there's no way around this. We'll have to go through. I'll go first." He took the wraps from his neck and head and jumped down the trench. Éclair frowned, "Are you crazy, you'll be killed!"

Once his feet touched the ground, he took the wrap from his wrists. The Scorpion Cockroaches ran at the man, but stopped short of an attack. Éclair squinted her eyes, "I don't get it." Toriko smirked, "As poisonous as they are, they can sense the more lethal poison in Coco's body. It's the same reason that Kuendon didn't attack him when we first met up. In order to capture poisonous creatures, many Gourmet Hunters inject themselves with different anti-bodies. I'm personally protected from around 70, but Coco's protected by over 7 times that amount. Come on now, let's not get left behind." He jumped in with the girl on his back. She looked in fright at the green insects that inhabited the cave. She held tightly around his neck until they reached a safe place. She dropped off the man's back and sighed, "That was nerve wracking." Coco dressed himself back up as he retracted his poison, "We better keep moving, there's a lot more ahead of us." They continued walking up down and all around the cave. It was tiring, and Éclair was getting awfully fatigued. She panted as they reached another stop on their way. It was a deep hole. Coco looked down, "Looks like our destination is 100 meters deep into this hole." Éclair smiled, "You mean the beach?" He shook his head, "Not quite, but we're getting close." Toriko looked at the girl, "You should hold on to one of us as we descend." She exhaled loudly, "You don't think I can handle myself or something? Well fine, as long as I'm clinging, I'll hold onto the lady killer." She jumped on his back and held on with all her strength, "Let's get going." As they descended, small fireflies lit up the dark room. She smiled, "They're so amazing. They all look so beautiful." The moment was quickly ruined as the scream of someone echoed through the vertical cave. They lowered themselves more quickly until the hit the cave floor. Éclair dropped from the man's back, "Thanks for that, gentle ride Coco." She turned her flashlight back on, and there was a swarm of bats flying at the three. Toriko put his hands together, "I give thanks for this meal. Itadakimasu!" He dove at the bats with a wide mouth and ate them whole. Éclair shook her head, "You certainly live up to the name Glutton." He wasn't eating them nearly fast enough, and Coco removed a wrap from his wrist. "Poison Dressing!" Before she could see the impact of the poison, she felt a hand cover her mouth and an arm hold her in place. She was being kidnapped.

The man holding onto her snickered, "Those kings should have their hands full for a while, and you my prize.." He laughed louder, "You will be my ticket to the beach. With you as a little snack, you should make a good enough diversion for me to slip past the Devil Python." Her eyes were at full alert, she was going to die. There was no way she would be able to kill an entire Devil Serpent on her own. Fear stuck her heart like a bolt of lightning. She breathed heavily as her torturous fate was somewhere ahead of her. She squirmed around until she freed her mouth from his hand, "Let me go you bastard!" He laughed once more, "Not until I get my prize." He ran but a few steps further, and heard the sound of the enormous Devil Python. It was a scream that sounded like something from another dimension. She moved her hand to her thigh holster and removed her machete. She swung it at the man's arm, gazing off a bit of the man's skin. He let her go and pushed her into the trench ahead of them. Éclair screamed, "You idiot!" She panicked as a pack of vicious monsters surrounded her. She took off her satchel and took out a heavy firecracker. She held it up, "So heavy! Geez Toriko, did you have to make this so big?" She pulled on the handle but it wouldn't budge, "Come on, come on!" She pulled harder and released the energy. A flash of white was all she could see. Her line of vision looked like a painting getting erased before her eyes. Her eye lids slowly shut as her limp body fell onto the hard, cold rock. Her heart rate flat lined, and Éclair Reinbou was dead.


	4. Tasting the Ten Year Puffer Whale

Everything was dark. There was no sign of light for miles. It felt as if Éclair were in an endless tunnel. She felt something give her a jolt of energy, but she just died, how was that possible? There it was again, the energy. She moved around before she came to. The blond girl sat up and rubbed her head. When she opened her eyes, there was Toriko and Coco. She ran over to the blue haired man, "Toriko! I'm so glad to see you!" She stopped short of a hug, "Hey, what the hell did you give me huh? That was no firecracker, that was capsulized death! I died! I caught a glimpse of some old geezer before I fully came to. I think he saved my life." Coco raised his eyebrow, "An old man? Considering the damage done on this Devil Python, that seems to be the work of the Knocking Master Jirou." She shrugged, "I don't care if it were the Knocking Master or Zombie and his crew. I seriously owe somebody my life."

Toriko sniffed the air, "The beach, we're near it!" He ran up ahead and the two followed. Once again, his sharp nose didn't fail him. Éclair pulled off her boots and stepped into the sand, "It's the beach!" Toriko began to undress and the blond girl did the same. She ran into the water without a second thought and soaked her body entirely. Both Toriko and Coco followed behind her and entered the water. She didn't dive under like they did, her lung capacity wasn't that large, so she just backstroked on the surface. She washed her face with the water as they swam under. "Who saved my life back there? How? I clearly remember seeing an old man with grey hair, but I don't know if that was real. That old man was gigantic, 5 times the size of a normal human at least." She splashed the water in her face, "Oh whatever, I better not think about it. After all, we're getting Puffer Whale!" She covered her mouth, "Oops, I better be quiet, they probably need to concentrate." Éclair swam back to the surface and lied down in the sand. "What's taking them so long?" She rolled on her side as she waited. Her eyes began to close and her mind started to drift. "We got it!" She propped back up quickly from the sound of Toriko's voice. "Awesome, how many did you get?" He laid out his catch, and there were ten Puffer Whales in front of them. The girl clapped her hands excitedly, "Oh wow! You got ten!" She looked over their paralyzed bodies, "Let's see you work your magic lady killer." Coco picked up a Puffer Whale and placed it in front of him. He took out a knife and delicately cut into the flesh. Before his knife cut too far, it sliced right into the poison sac and ruined. Éclair looked at the man, "Oh, that's alright. We still have 9 more." He shook his head, "I'm too shaky from fatigue. You'll have to take over Éclair." "Me?" She didn't deny the challenge and nodded her head, "Alright then! I'll do my best!" Coco smiled, "I'll walk you through it okay. Don't worry about messing up." Her face changed, "You guys might want to catch some more in case I mess up." The black haired man shook his head, "They're long gone by now. They lay their eggs and leave just like that." Toriko's jaw dropped, "What! You mean we're leaving the Puffer Whales up to Éclair!" She sighed, "Thanks for your confidence in me Toriko." She stood up and walked to her satchel. Out she pulled her chef uniform. It was everything except her white boots. Her wrapped knives were placed beside her, "Okay. I'm ready as I'll ever be. Tell me what to do Coco."

"First make a ten centimeter incision from the tail fin." She placed her clean, sharp knife into the Puffer Whale and it immediately ruined. She gasped, "But I barely even touched it. It seems like this process is even more delicate than I thought." Coco continued to instruct with her new Puffer Whale, "Make a slice from the gills to the lower jaw." Another ruined fish. She sighed, "Damn, I'm sorry." Coco looked seriously into her eyes, "It's okay, just relax." She placed the poisonous fish to the side and grabbed a new one. ~Six poisoned Puffer Whales later, and she was down to the last one. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the two men. "Coco, you told me to relax, right? I think I have this." There was uncertainty in her voice, but she displaced any doubt in herself. She slid the knife in from the tailfin and a melody came out her mouth. She looked at her movements carefully as she sang. Coco's eyes couldn't be moved from the woman as she sang. It was so captivating the way she was completely at peace when singing. She got to the climax of her song, and there was the high note. A slice down the diaphragm, and there it was. The poison sack was in plain sight. She stopped singing and placed her knife to the side of the Puffer Whale. She looked up at Coco with fearful eyes. He put a hand on her shoulder, "Peal away the membranes surrounding the sack, and when you have them all, scoop it out with your hands. And Éclair, by all means, finish your song." She nodded and continued to go back into her comfort zone. The song softened, and she sang in a low tone. Her fingers felt the heaviness but delicacy of the sack. She pulled away, and there it was, a poison free Puffer Whale. After placing it to the side, Toriko picked up the girl and swung her around in excitement. "You did it! Yeah!" She laughed as she was being carried, "No we did it, all three of us!" Coco smiled, "You did great!" She jumped out of his arms and gazed upon the golden Puffer Whale. The sight was enticing. She wiped her hands on her apron, "I'll have this thing prepped and ready in no time. I know the perfect dish."

~Toriko screamed out in pure bliss "Sashimi! You made sashimi!" She nodded, "Yes, I wanted us to be able to taste the Puffer Whale in all of it's true flavor." They put their hands together "We give humble that's to the vast bounty this world provides. Itadakimasu!" Toriko wasted no time taking a large scoop of the meat. Éclair hit the mans hand "You glutton! Save some for the rest of us will ya!" They all ate the precious Puffer Whale at the same time and their faces changed. So happy they all were. It was so fatty with it's tuna-like qualities. It was rich, and the flavor was undeniable. Éclair fell back with her hair in the sand, "Oh, a gal could live off this stuff forever." She picked up a couple pieces and put it in a container. Toriko scratched his head, "Saving it for later or something?" She shook her head, "No, just saving some for a friend." She clapped her hands one time and propped up, "Oh Toriko, now that we've made a delicious meal out of this thing, what do you think? Is it good enough to be on your full course menu?" The bluenette shook his head, "The Puffer Whale is a very delicious fish, there's no denying that. But I just want to see what else is out there before I commit to it being on my list." She nodded, "I see. Well, I can't wait to see what you'll pick. I want to taste a fish even tastier than the Puffer Whale someday. It would be so~" Her sentence stopped. Coco was going into full poison. He didn't even remove any of his wraps. Her eyes focused on Toriko, and he looked more intimidating than ever. They stared harshly at a bird-like creature that surfaced from the water. The girls blue eyes looked directly at the black creature, and she'd never felt more intimidated in her life. It stopped and glanced at the three, scratched its head confusingly, and walked away.

After it left, the two powered down. Eclair put her hands over her mouth, "What was that thing?" Coco looked down the dark vacant cave, "It wasn't human, that's for sure." Toriko gestured the girl over, "Come on Eclair, let's get you home before anything happens." She nodded, "Alright, I've got a Puffer Whale that needs examining."


	5. The Battle Wolf's Debut

Éclair was back in the kitchen. It was far before opening, so she and her Sous Chef were the only ones there. The blond looked at the container before her. "Look at it Komatsu. The Puffer Whale. It's gorgeous isn't it?" The boy nodded, "I can't believe you actually extracted the poison sack. What are you going to do with these last few pieces?" She scooted the container toward her friend, "I said I would bring some back for you didn't I? I'm a woman of my word." His eyes nearly glazed over as he looked at the beautiful meat. She twirled around her keys as she headed for the exit, "All I ask is for a favor." Her eyes went serious once again and Komatsu maintained a nervous look. "Set up a lunch date. You, me, Ootake, and Ume. I wasn't kidding about it when we last talked." The boy nodded, "Alright Éclair, I'll do what I can." The blond smiled, "That's what I like to hear." She gave a quick wave and left out the kitchen doors. She made her way down, and out of the building entirely. "Éclair!" The girl looked up as she heard her name. "Huh? Who's calling me?" Up walked the bluenette with a large smile, "You don't know my voice by now?" She smiled upon seeing the man, "Well, it is still dark out here. What's up, why are you at my job?" He put his arm around her shoulder, "Have you ever heard of Jewel Meat?"

Toriko, Éclair, and Johannes all sat in an IGO helicopter. The girl was sitting close to the window as she looked at the clouds. "We're up so high, this is amazing." Toriko yawned unimpressed, "You're fascinated by anything aren't you?" She folded her arms, "Hey, I had a very basic childhood, I didn't see very much in my day." He got up from his seat and sat next to the girl, "Well be prepared, because the Jewel Meat will be something beyond what 'basic eyes' can comprehend. It tastes like the best cuts of meat all formed into one, only better." Her mouth watered, "I want to eat it so bad. I've heard of such a meat, it never appears on the market." Toriko nodded as he held a large sandwich to his mouth. Éclair scratched her head, "There's no way you're getting all that in your mouth. That thing is bigger than my head!" He shrugged, "I could fit your head in my mouth." He dislocated his jaw and forced the sandwich down his throat. The girl scooted away a bit, "I'm not sure how I feel about that." She stood up again and looked out the window, "We're getting ready to land already? In this big jungle mess?" He shook his head, "No, the terrain is too unstable to land here. There's a small fraction of Biotope 1 that is welcomed to humans. You'll see, we're almost there."

She was the first to jump out of the helicopter when it landed. Johannes fixed his glasses as he glanced over at the girl, "Welcome to the Regal Isle, the Gourmet Garden in Biotope 1." The girls honey colored hair swung around as her head couldn't stop moving from looking at everything. "Everything is so exuberant! Komatsu is never gonna believe this!" Toriko raised one eyebrow, "Komatsu?" She smiled, "Oh, nothing. He's my assistant chef." They walked in further and found themselves in a food utopia of sorts. It was amazing to see the food getting processed, analyzed, shipped, and tested. Éclair's eyes amplified, "Whoa, my eyes have never seen such food greatness. If the Hotel Gourmet had a staff like this, we'd be above a 5 star for sure." They walked until they reached a small set of double doors. Toriko took his shirt off and looked at Éclair, "Hey, take off your clothes." She frowned as she maintained a fake karate stance, "What! No one is getting me naked!" The man was already down to his boxer shorts, "You have to get sterilized or you can't come along." She took off her shirt and covered her chest, "Okay, but don't look at me." Toriko looked back at the girl slyly, and she took out her machete, "I will use this if I have to." He rolled his eyes and laughed, "Alright, just hurry your naked ass up." She was very comfortable in her own skin, but she didn't want people looking at her in the nude. The cold water hit the two and she shivered as she washed up. They stepped out of the shower, and Toriko looked at the girl's lower back. "Hey, that leech bite made your heart shaped birthmark look like it's bleeding." He laughed as he pointed at the girl, "Rainbow undies? Cute." She poked out her bottom lip, "I said no peeking Toriko! Besides, it's not Rainbow undies, it's Reinbou undies. ~Let's just get to this Jewel Meat already." They stepped into the elevator and began to descend, "We have to meet up with someone first, he is the director and chief of this Biotope. He's just some old drunkard, so don't worry about formalities." She was definitely more at piece knowing he was a lax guy. She nodded, "Cool, so that's where we're headed now?"

The doors of the elevator opened and up jumped a Bat-Talion. Quickly, the girl unsheathed her machete and pointed it at the animal. Toriko laughed at the girl, "Calm down, it's in a glass. ~And what did I tell you about carrying that thing, I feel like my words are falling on deaf ears." She kept the knife close as she looked around, "What are these things?" "It's a place where they mix species. Some are extinct, and some aren't. You won't see these animals outside of this place." Her eyes glistened, "Cool, and the glass is so clear, it's like they're right in your face. Rawr!" She growled at an animal in front of her, "These things don't flinch eh?" Toriko's hand clenched Eclair's shoulder, "Step back, and don't panic." Her face went green as she noticed the animal in front of her was not in a box. Toriko cracked his knuckles and "Frying Pan!" A man jumped ahead of the two and punched the Muscle Crab square in the face. Toriko shook his head, "No mercy for the animals huh Chief Mansom?" The bald man turned and revealed his scarred face, he took a drink of the alcohol in his hand and smiled. "Hey, you just called me handsome." Toriko shook his head, "No, I didn't." The older man continued, "If you wanna maintain control, all you need is a fist or two." Éclair looked at the man with such respect and admiration for his power. Both Toriko and the Chief were chopping it up with a couple laughs. Éclair stood in place as she twiddled her thumbs waiting to be introduced. Toriko grabbed the girl like a rag doll, "Come on Éclair, let's see the Coliseum." She folded her arms as she was being carried like basketball under his arm, "I can walk just fine Toriko." He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but you took forever to respond, like you were in lala land."

He set the girl down as they began to hear a large crowd of people. The roar's and screams were overwhelming as they got closer. The seats were completely packed, and the blond girl looked at the fight going on in front of her. "A Garara Gator versus a Troll Kong? That's amazing." Mansom's voice was muffled by him taking another drink, "Take a look at the people Éclair. They aren't just rich run of the mill gamblers. They are presidents and country leaders. There might even be some customers you may recognize." The girl was surprised by not only the people in her presence, but the fact that Mansom knew her name. He waved the girl over, "Come on you two. Let's take our seats." They sat down in their VIP seats and watched the exhilarating fight before them. Mansom smirked at Toriko, "There is a special competitor fighting today that may peak your interest Toriko, as promised." The gates lifted, and the animals ran out into the arena." Éclair jumped up and down, "Ooh, I'm going to place a bet on the Elephantasauraus!" As she began to leave, she heard an unfamiliar growl. Her head turned to see an elegant, white Battle Wolf. It was so regal and beautiful as it stepped out of the gate. Her eyes were glued to the amazing creature. She smiled as she looked up at the voting board, "The Battle Wolf. I'm going to bet on the Battle Wolf." She raced up the steps and didn't look back. Soon she figured out this was a bad idea. She had no idea where she was going. In fact, she ran so far that she didn't even know how to get back to her seat.

She heard a voice in the distance, a female voice. At this point she didn't care who it was, she needed help getting out of here. She ran until heard the woman as clear as day. "Toriko's here!" Éclair was excited to hear the voice of both Toriko and Mansom, even if not in person. The blond girl ran behind the taller black haired girl and looked at the screen. "Toriko! I'm totally lost; I don't know where I am!" The blue haired man shook his head, "Éclair? How did you get way over there?" Rin pulled the girl away from the screen "Who do you think you are? How do you know Toriko!" Before the girl could answer, a rumble shook the vicinity. Toriko looked seriously at the girls, "Éclair, get back to me as fast as possible, okay!" The girl nodded, "Okay!" Rin was red in the face as this new girl was going back to her man. She was mad, but she had a job to do. Éclair ran with everything in her to make it back in time. She was still lost, but she calculated her retraced steps more carefully this time.

The sound of the excited crowd was in earshot range again and she felt relieved. As she ran back down to her seat, she noticed a large hole in the coliseum glass. The girl looked at Mansom as she walked over shattered glass. He didn't say anything at all; instead, he looked through the coliseum glass stunned and shocked. Éclair looked onward as well and saw Toriko in the middle of the fight. The dust settled, and she was able to truly see the battle ahead of him. She placed her palms on the glass, "Be careful Toriko!" Mansom shook his head, "Yeah, he better be careful alright. I'm gonna kill em when he gets back here for breaking my glass!" The blond girl clasped her hands together as she watched on. She could only hope, pray, that he'd make it out okay.


End file.
